Class Management among S.I.X.T.H. Graders
Jazmyne Griffith
School of Education, Liberty University
EDUC 303: Instructional Practices for Content Teachers
Professor Erin Mills
January 31, 2022
1
2
Class Management among S.I.X.T.H. Graders
Classroom management is very important. Without it, the classroom will degenerate into
a state of chaos. “The first day of school is a testing period. Students will test your rules, your
determination to apply them fairly, and your commitment to maintaining them” (Orlich, Harder,
Brown, Trevisan, & Miller, 2018, Chapter 11 Section 11). Introducing my rules on the first day
of class will establish the groundwork for a great school year.
The first rule in my classroom is ‘Share your belongings’. “Children who display age-
appropriate sharing behaviors are more likely to be considered friends by same-age peers and
more likely to have opportunities to practice other prosocial behaviors” (Lane & Ledford, 2016,
pg. 3). This builds unity in the classroom. Sharing is a crucial part of learning and developing as
a responsible citizen. I will train my students to give to others without expecting repayment. I
will explain the difference between a gift and a loan. However, this is not to say that the recipient
keeps everything that is given. Some things like toys and books are loaned and not necessarily
given. In addition, I will warn the giver not to use their generosity as a tool to get what they
want. It is not beneficial to share something with a classmate and then make them feel like they
owe you somethings. Sharing is important to cultivate at an early age.
The second rule in my classroom is ‘Include others’. Even though it is easy to gravitate to
one particular group of friends, children should learn that everyone needs to be included in
games and collaborative learning. Cliques are damaging. “Members of cliques are publicly
recognized as being accepted by their peers while those not in cliques are viewed as less socially
attractive” (Hallinan & Smith, 1989, pg. 3). Those outside the clique feel hurt and their self-
image is damaged. I will stress the fact that everyone is equal in the classroom, and we all have
gifts that we bring to the table.
3
My next rule is ‘Exemplify the Golden Rule’. This famous Bible passage in Luke 6:31 is
a timeless truth for living our lives. It is important that students learn that they must treat others
as they would want to be treated. “The Golden Rule, however, is an ethical command. There are
deeds it would exclude; there is no vice it is designed to approve” (Weiss, 1941, pg. 3). The
Golden Rule is designed to make our lives smoother and easier for everyone is following the
rules.
The fourth rule is ‘Try, try again’. Diligence and hard work are skills that will take you
far in life. “Working hard in school is generally associated with positive attitudes, values and
behaviour in classrooms” (Borg, 2013, pg. 136). It is important that students do not give up when
they run into snags in their work. Students will be encouraged to take a short break in the quiet
zone before resuming the task. In the quiet zone, students can rest, read, or doodle before they go
back to their assignments.
Finally, the fifth rule is ‘Honesty Counts’. Honesty is an important virtue that every
student should uphold. Miller (2017) states, “Here is a trait for which it is easy to find consensus
that it is a virtue, and furthermore, a very important virtue.” Honesty is an often-neglected virtue
that needs to be brought back into society. This instruction begins first at home and secondly, at
school. Students will learn to be honest regardless of the cost. Also, exaggeration and lying by
omission and exaggeration are both forms of lying.
My class rules will be reinforced with the token economy system. “Within an educational
setting, a token economy is a system for providing positive reinforcement to a child or children
by giving them tokens for completing tasks or behaving in desired ways” (Cosgrave, pg. 1).
Using this system, students will earn class money for good deeds they do throughout the day.
4
When they break one of the rules, then they pay a fine to me as the teacher. They will be able to
exchange their tokens for rewards either at the end of the day or the end of the week.
The token system will be useful in my class to manage student behavior. When I
personally observe students obeying our S.I.X.T.H. grade rules, then I will award money for their
behavior. The dollar value will vary depending on which rule they have followed. For example,
students who come to me and confess something wrong they have done will be given a greater
reward than someone who is kind. I will also reward things such as exceptional grades and
milestone accomplishments. However, if I see a student break one of the rules, then they will
have to pay a fine to me or the person they offended. Friday afternoons are Fun Friday! I will
open my class store. Each student will pay a fee of $5 before they can enter. Then, they can
purchase whatever privileges, games, toys, or candy that they would like. Students are free to use
up all their cash, or they can save it for next week. Along with enforcing good classroom
behaviors, this system will teach money management.
Introducing my S.I.X.T.H. grade rules on the first day of class will lay the foundational
groundwork necessary for an amazing year. My expectations will be clear, and every student
will know what is required of them. Using the token economy system to enforce good behavior
will corral unruly behavior, for who wants Fun Friday to come, and they have no money? Class
management is an important part in teaching preparation.
5
Works Referenced
Borg, E. (2013). Does Working Hard in School Explain Performance Differences between Girls
and Boys? A Questionnaire-based Study Comparing Pakistani Students with Majority
Group Students in the City of Oslo. YOUNG, 21(2), 133–154.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1103308813477464
Cosgrave, G. (n.d.). Token economy. Token Economy - Educate Autism. Retrieved January 20,
2022, from https://www.educateautism.com/token-economy.html#
Hallinan, M. T., & Smith, S. S. (1989). Classroom Characteristics and Student Friendship
Cliques. Social Forces, 67(4), 898–919. https://doi.org/10.2307/2579707
Lane, J. D., & Ledford, J. R. (2016). A Review of Interventions Designed to Increase Sharing
Behaviors in Children with Social Delays or Deficits. Journal of Behavioral Education,
25(1), 69–94. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24758063
Miller, C. B. (2017). Honesty. In C. B. Miller & W. Sinnott-Armstrong (Eds.), Moral
Psychology: Virtue and Character (pp. 237–274). The MIT Press.
https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1n2tvzm.21
Orlich, D. C., Harder, R. J., Brown, A., Trevisan, M. S., & Miller, D. (2018). Teaching
strategies: A guide to effective instruction. Australia: Cengage Learning.
Weiss, P. (1941). The Golden Rule. The Journal of Philosophy, 38(16), 421–430.
https://doi.org/10.2307/2017578
6
